Local News Stories

Man Indicted on Sex Charges against Child

During its Friday session, a Ross County Grand Jury indicted a man for inappropriately touching a child. Investigator Rick Hannan, of the Prosecutor's Office, says the indictment alleges 23-year-old Teajay Luster, of Portsmouth, was lying in bed with his girlfriend and a 3-year-old boy who was in her care on December 20 and that Luster's hand was seen inside the front of the child's diaper.

Luster has been indicted with a third-degree felony of gross sexual imposition.

In another case, a Chillicothe man faces a felony charge that stems from an assault and crash in Chillicothe on January 4th. Investigator Hannan says 33-year-old Christopher Wittkugle was the driver in a van whose occupants were being spoken to by an officer following a report of an assault on East Second Street. Hannan says Wittkugle allegedly put the van in reverse, bumped the officer with the opened passenger door, and then put the van in drive and fled after the officer ordered him to stop. Wittkugle then reportedly drove into the intersection of Paint and Second streets, crashing into a turning vehicle, and causing 5 other parked vehicles to hit one another.

Hannan says Wittkugle and the two others in the van fled on foot but were quickly apprehended.

Wittkugle faces a third-degree felony of failure to comply.

Other indictments include:

*25-year-old Elvie Royster, Jr., of Chillicothe, for third-degree felony failure to comply. The indictment alleges Royster fled from a deputy in a stolen car on Baum Hill Road on April 2, 2013, during which he reportedly drove into a house, causing damage, and then fled on foot. In the abandoned vehicle, authorities found a wallet and ID from the Offender Release Program that had a picture of Royster as well as his name and Social Security Number, said Hannan.

*43-year-old Rodney Combs, of Bainbridge, for third-degree felony illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs. Investigator Hannan says authorities conducted a search of a trailer on Potts Hill Road on December 12, 2013, and found a one-pot meth lab at the foot of the defendant's bed. Other items commonly used to make meth were also found inside, said Hannan.

*29-year-old Demetris Searcy, of Columbus, for third-degree felony possession of heroin and fifth-degree possession of cocaine. Searcy is accused of being the driver of a vehicle that was stopped for speeding on State Route 104 on October 29, 2013, and that authorities found over 5 grams of heroin and a little over a gram of cocaine in the vehicle.

*39-year-old Bruce Sumpter, of Columbus, for fifth-degree felony possession of heroin and third-degree felony tampering with evidence. Hannan says the indictment alleges Sumpter was the driver of a vehicle that was pulled over on US 35 South on July 12, 2013, that he tried to get the passengers to hide some items, and that tobacco, rolling paper, 0.12 grams of heroin, and marijuana were found under a seat in the vehicle.